One of Australia's leading criminal barristers believes Human Services Minister Alan Tudge — or one of his staff — may have broken the law by supplying a journalist with a Centrelink client's personal information.

Key points:

Barrister says it is "reasonably clear" Tudge or one of his staff committed an offence

Mr Tudge has repeatedly said he had legal authority to disclose the information

Robert Richter, a Queen's Counsel and former chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, believes the disclosure could lead to a prison sentence if it is tested beyond reasonable doubt in a criminal court.

Mr Tudge has dismissed the legal advice, saying the disclosure was approved by his department's lawyers and was necessary to correct misleading public statements.

"Labor's lawyer provided an opinion without knowledge of what information was disclosed — he has admitted this," Mr Tudge told the ABC.

"I received clearance to release the information from the Chief Legal Counsel of the Department of Human Services, who is intimately across the details of the case and the relevant laws."

Mr Richter's advice was commissioned by Labor MP Linda Burney and his findings were based on public information, rather than inquiries with Mr Tudge's office.

In his opinion, it is "reasonably clear that either the Minister or one of his office's staff had committed an offence".

"We cannot presently put it higher without knowing precisely the content of the information that was disclosed and by whom it was disclosed," Mr Richter said.

Peter Sutherland, a social security law expert at Australian National University, previously told the ABC only a court could determine the legality of the disclosure.

Ms Burney said the legal advice from Mr Richter was "damning" and described the disclosure as an intimidating and gross misuse of a powerful position.

"Was this just a vindictive campaign to silence his critics with a total disregard for privacy laws?" she asked.

"How many other Centrelink clients have had their privacy breached because they dared criticise the Government?"

Provision to release information to 'correct the record'

During Question Time on Thursday, Mr Tudge again said he had the legal authority to disclose information about a welfare recipient.

"These are laws that have been available to successive governments to correct the record when serious allegations have been made that could end up de-legitimising government institutions," he said.

Mr Tudge told Parliament his department took the protection of people's information very seriously.

"It is governed by the Privacy Act which has very strict provisions, but there is also provision in the law to provide discrete pieces of information to correct the record on certain occasions," he said.